The Saguaro Sabercats made the jump from Division III to Division II after a state championship season in 2014. Not only that, but they took on Division I foes Centennial and Pinnacle to start the year. After starting 1-2 on the year, the Sabercats have won ten straight games and are hitting their stride at precisely the right time.
With the leadership of Kare Lyles and Byron Murphy, two key contributors from the 2014 state title team, Saguaro finds themselves in the Division II state title game after beating Westview 55-21 in the semifinals Friday night.
“We’ve got ten total seniors, eight that are playing right now. We don’t have the huge numbers, but we’ve got great leadership,” Saguaro head football coach Jason Mohns said.
Mohns credits the turnaround to the team’s senior leadership and has seen a different quarterback on the field in recent weeks.
“I’m so proud of Kare Lyles. He’s grown so much as a quarterback. He’s always had the talent, he’s always had the ability, he’s always been a playmaker. But his leadership, what he means for our team right now, what he’s doing for the guys around him, he’s on a different level right now and I couldn’t be more proud of him.”
The Sabercats will try to claim the Division II crown in their first year at that level when they take on Marcos de Niza on Saturday, November 28th at Arizona Stadium in Tucson.
Jordan Hamm
